Loredana Jucan
Lagoon and Trifid
Messier 8 (lower part of the picture) got its name of Lagoon Nebula from the description made by Agnes Clerke in 1890, when she compared this object to a lagoon surrounded by bright fog. This area is a stellar nursery: in the hydrogen cloud (in red), which forms the emission nebula NGC 6523, bright new stars are formed, grouped in the open cluster NGC 6530 (a little to the left of the nebula’s center). Distance from Earth: 4-6.000 light years.
The Trifid Nebula (upper-right), or Messier 20, lies approximately 5.000 light years away. Stars are born here as well :)
A little above Trifid (and to the left) you can see the star cluster Messier 21, made up of young stars about 4.000 light years away from us.
Lagoon and Trifid
Messier 8 (lower part of the picture) got its name of Lagoon Nebula from the description made by Agnes Clerke in 1890, when she compared this object to a lagoon surrounded by bright fog. This area is a stellar nursery: in the hydrogen cloud (in red), which forms the emission nebula NGC 6523, bright new stars are formed, grouped in the open cluster NGC 6530 (a little to the left of the nebula’s center). Distance from Earth: 4-6.000 light years.
The Trifid Nebula (upper-right), or Messier 20, lies approximately 5.000 light years away. Stars are born here as well :)
A little above Trifid (and to the left) you can see the star cluster Messier 21, made up of young stars about 4.000 light years away from us.